These Chocolate Easter Nests will bring much colour and joy to your Easter table. Whether you’re enjoying them at home or sharing them with friends and family, they are a delightful addition to any Easter celebration. They’re gluten, egg, nut, and dairy free too!
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Nutritional Benefits Of This Recipe
I love this Easter nest version because the combination of healthy fats and fibre from the coconut helps modulate the glycemic response, as does the fibre-rich buckwheat. Unlike recipes using cornflakes or fried noodle nests that rely on refined sugars and simple starches, these ingredients slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, helping to prevent the ‘sugar crash’ often associated with holiday treats
The buckwheat groats in this recipe are also a highly nutritious prebiotic-rich food. They’re a good source of minerals such as zinc and manganese and also offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (4)… benefits we get from the cacao too.
Ingredients That Make These Easter Nests Healthier
These nests prioritise nutrient-dense foods providing a base that’s naturally gluten and dairy-free too. The combination of buckwheat, coconut and cocoa also adds a good amount of dietary fibre creating a nourishing treat that supports sustained energy levels.
- Loving Earth Chocolate Buckini Clusters – if you can’t find these, chocolate granola is a good swap. Just ensure there are no super chunky pieces, or the nests won’t stick together.
- Desiccated coconut – a great combination with chocolate and gives these Easter nests another level of flavour.
- Cacao nibs – add some crunch and a deliciously dark chocolatey taste.
- Cocoa powder – for even more chocolate flavour! You could potentially go without this but it does make the nests extra delicious.
- Maple syrup – adds hints of caramel and toffee and provides a nice balance to the chocolate.
- Vanilla essence – works to enhance all the flavours from the other ingredients in the recipe.
- Coconut oil – helps the nests adhere when they’re chilled. It’s also the reason they’ll fall apart if they’re brought to room temperature. Always remember to serve straight from the fridge!
- Cacao butter – provides a fuller and much more rich flavour than using coconut oil alone. If this is not stocked at your local supermarket simply replace it with milk or dark chocolate. In this case I’d leave out the cocoa.
- Sultanas – adding sweetness to this fun treat.
- Mini Easter eggs – Milk chocolate or dark chocolate eggs of your choice. Bright-coloured wrappers are great for the best visual appeal.
This is quite a forgiving recipe, so get experimental with it. Swap the sultanas for dried cranberries or blueberries, add chocolate chips instead of cacao nibs… whatever you like! They’ll be a super cute addition to your Easter celebrations.
Substitutions And Variations
Good quality chocolate can replace the cacao butter if you prefer, or if it’s difficult to find at your local supermarket. Dark, milk, or white chocolate are all fine so go with your preference.
To make smaller nests, use a mini muffin tray instead of the larger one. Just note this sized nest will likely only fit one egg once they’re done.
For some extra colour mix both candy eggs and chocolate eggs to decorate the nests with.
Chocolate granola is a great swap for the buckwheat buckini clusters if they’re not available at your local grocery store or online.
How To Make These Chocolate Easter Nests
These Easter treats are relatively quick to make in just a few simple steps. It’s a melt, mix, chill and serve recipe. And one that will be loved by kids and adults alike. They make excellent Easter gifts too!
- Step 1: Gather your ingredients and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases/baking cups.
- Step 2: Combine the coconut oil and cacao butter in a small saucepan and melt over a very low heat.
- Step 3: Mix the chocolate buckinis, desiccated coconut, cacao nibs, cacao powder, vanilla and maple syrup together in a large bowl. Pour over the melted oil.
- Step 4: Spoon the chocolate mix into the paper cases then start to form out a nest shape. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
When you’re ready to enjoy them, remove the nests from the freezer and place the mini chocolate eggs in the centre of each one to decorate., then serve immediately. As this is a no bake treat any leftover nests should be stored in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- If replacing the cacao butter with chocolate, I recommend melting it over a double boiler to ensure it doesn’t burn – something chocolate does easily! The microwave is also an option if preferred.
- Ensure the saucepan used to melt the coconut oil and cacao butter is completely dry. The cacao butter can seize and become gritty if it comes in contact with water. The same is true for chocolate so be wary of this if using it as a replacement.
- Ensure the saucepan used to melt the coconut oil and cacao butter is completely dry. The cacao butter can seize and become gritty if it comes in contact with water. The same is true for chocolate so be wary of this if using it as a replacement.
Storing And Freezing
Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The coconut oil and cocoa butter will liquefy if they get too hot and the nests will start to melt.
Once the nests have been formed, they can be kept in the freezer if you’re making them well in advance. They will keep there for many months though keep in mind freezer burn can affect foods. This generally happens when they’ve been kept for too long and both the taste and texture can be affected.
This is a great make-ahead recipe too! It gives them plenty of extra time to set in the fridge.
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Healthy Chocolate Easter Nests (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
Equipment
- 12 hole muffin tin
- Large baking cup liners
Ingredients
- 2 cups Loving Earth Chocolate Buckini Clusters (see note 1)
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
- ⅓ cup cocoa
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ⅓ cup cacao butter, (see note 2)
- ¼ cup sultanas
- Mini Easter eggs, to fill the nests with
Instructions
- Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases.
- In a large bowl, mix together the chocolate buckinis, desiccated coconut, sultanas, cacao nibs, cacao powder, vanilla, and maple syrup.
- Combine the coconut oil and cacao butter in a small saucepan and melt over a low heat. Do not let it boil. Switch off as soon as everything is melted and remove from the heat.
- Pour the oil mixture into the dry mixture and stir until everything is well combined.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the baking cups then start to form out a nest. Either do this by pushing down on the mixture with a small glass – a shot glass/measuring glass is ideal – or with the back of a teaspoon. Either method should leave you with a 'nest' that you can sit chocolate eggs in when its set.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Remove the nests from the freezer and decorate with mini chocolate eggs and/or candy eggs then serve straight away. Keep any extra nests in the fridge.
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Notes
Nutrition
Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY
What an original idea for Easter treats! They’re the perfect idea to make with kids.
Thanks so much Alice!
These look so cute for Easter treats and fun to make too.The children and adults will love them!
Thanks, Amanda!
What a beautiful and innovative Easter treat. I’m not sure I can find the chocolate buckinis here in Italy but will try to order online if I can. .
Thanks Jacqueline! Something like Nature Mix – Muesli Crunchy con Cioccolato Uvetta e Nocciole could work well for this.
My kids are so excited to try this! Looking great!
Thanks, Jo! Hope you all enjoy them.
Festivity at its best. This is so innovative and very creative too. Kids would love to handle it as well. Lovely planning for a decorative Easter Table.
Thanks so much Veena!